Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Tuesday to have launched coordinated ballistic missile and drone attacks against US military facilities in Bahrain and Jordan, including the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet and an airbase used by American forces. The strikes, described by Tehran as the first phase of a second wave of “Operation Nasr 2,” were presented as direct retaliation for a series of US air assaults on Iranian coastal and military positions. US Central Command had earlier confirmed a third consecutive night of strikes on targets across southern Iran, including sites in Bushehr, Chabahar, and Bandar Abbas.

According to Iranian statements, the operation is a response to what Tehran terms continued American violations of a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding that mandated a cessation of hostilities. Iranian officials assert that US strikes persisted after a unilateral ceasefire announced on 7 April, and they point to American attempts to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz in defiance of Iran’s designated maritime corridor. The IRGC also issued a direct message to the Jordanian people, insisting the attack was aimed solely at US assets and expressing solidarity with Jordanians over the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. Jordan’s armed forces, however, reported that its air defence systems intercepted several missiles that entered the country’s airspace, with debris falling in multiple locations but no casualties or major damage.

The exchange extends the pattern of tit-for-tat strikes across a wider set of regional states. Iran has publicly adopted a “two-to-one” retaliation doctrine, vowing to strike at least two enemy targets for every Iranian site hit. The IRGC’s claims of destroying weapons depots, satellite communication centres, and radar systems in Bahrain, if verified, would represent a significant geographical expansion of the conflict. Independent confirmation of the damage remains unavailable, and the Jordanian account of successful interceptions suggests the operational impact may be more limited than Tehran asserts.

Viewed from regional capitals, the latest violence underscores the fragility of diplomatic efforts to contain the confrontation. The Pakistan-mediated understanding, which included a 60-day negotiation window and a commitment to unfreeze Iranian assets, appears to have collapsed amid mutual accusations of bad faith. With the IRGC stating that its retaliatory operation is ongoing and Washington signalling no let-up in its military campaign, the dossier remains in a state of active hostilities. The immediate focus now shifts to whether either side will move to de-escalate or whether the cycle of strikes will draw in further neighbouring states.